'Ban on 4- and 7-Year-Old Admission Tests' Passes National Assembly Education Committee by Bipartisan Agreement

[Financial News] On the 9th, the National Assembly Education Committee passed a bipartisan amendment to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, commonly referred to as the '4- and 7-year-old admission test ban,' which prohibits English academy entrance exams for young children.
The amendment adds a new provision to the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Private Teaching Institutes and Extracurricular Lessons, prohibiting private academies, teaching centers, and private tutors from administering entrance exams that determine admission for young children (ages 3 to pre-elementary school).
Initially, the original bill included a ban on placement tests after admission. However, the revised version passed today allows for diagnostic assessments in the form of observational interviews, provided prior parental consent is obtained and the purpose is to support educational activities.
Choi Kyo-jin, Minister of the United States Department of Education (ED), stated immediately after the bill's passage, "This will help alleviate excessive early entrance competition among infants and toddlers, and provide stronger support for children's healthy growth and development."
Meanwhile, at the same plenary session, the committee also passed a partial amendment to the School Meals Act, which specifies school cafeteria workers in the law and requires the government and local authorities to establish measures to improve their working conditions.

cjk@fnnews.com Choi Jong-geun Reporter